Cranking means for starting internal-combustion motors



7 Feb. 13, 1923. I 1,444,864.

C. H. BIEDERMAN.

CRANKING MEANS FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS.

FILED MAR-10,1919. 2 SHEETS-SHETZT 1.

yzuem for;

Feb. 13, 1923.

- C. H. BIEDERMAN.

C RANKING MEANS FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS FILED MAR. 10, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- (forzzqy.

rated Feb. 13, 1923.

FICE.

' CHARLES H. BIEDERMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE O. ARMLEDER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CRANKING MEANS FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Morons.

Application filed March 10, 1919. Serial No. 281,656.

To all whom it may cmwerh:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BIEDER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cranking Means for Starting Internal-Combustion Motors, of which the following is'a specification. I

My invention relates to cranking means for starting internal combustion motors, and is especially applicable in connection with self-propelled vehicles, for instance, motor trucks. It is the object ofany invention to provide new and improved cranking means for starting internal combustion motors, comprising a crank-handle, and novel means whereby to posit-ion'the crank-handle in active relation, and to swing the same into inactive relation; further, to provide novel means whereby to hold the crank-handle in inactive relation in such manner as to prevent rattling of the starting mechanism; and, further, to provide novel means whereby to connect the crank-handle with a rotary member of the motor, and to release the crank-handlefrom active relation and to position the crank-arm of'the same in obscure inactive relation.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of my improved device,-shown in connection with so much of a' motor truck and the motor thereon as is necessary to illustrate my invention, the cranking mechanism being shown in active relation.

Fig. 2 is a similanview, the cranking mechanism being shown in inactive relation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latter, partly broken away. v

,Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of my improved device, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of my improve device taken on the line/5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail of the same, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5: and,

Fig. 7 is a detail in section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

The motor to be started is represented as and comprises a rotary member 12, which is the initial member to be rotated in starting the motor, and may, for instance, be the crank-shaft of the motor. The motor may be mounted on a suitable vehicle, for instance a truck, the chassis of which is exemplified at 13, con'iprising a buffer 16, the motor. being suitably supported on the chassis. The vehicle and the chassis or support for the motor may be of any ordinary or usual construction. A suitable housing, indicated at 14, for the motor, may be suitably supported by the chassis. The housing may include a suitable radiator 15.

A shaft 20 is exemplifiedas a rotary and axially movable shaft. It will be hereinafterreferred to as the starting shaft. The starting shaft and rotary member of the motor are provided with complemental connecting means, these connecting means being ex.- emplified as a pin 21 extending through and projecting from the sides of the rotary member, arranged to eoact wi-thnotches 22 in asocket-member 23 fixed 'to the means of a pin 24.

\Vhen it is desired to start the motor, axial movement is manually imparted to the starting shaft for having the socket-member 23 received about the rotary member. The wall of the socket 25 in the socket-member spreads radially, as shown at 26-, at its end adjacent to the rotaryv member, so as to act as a guiding wall or means for directing the wall of the socket about the rotary member.

When the complementalconnecting means a're in engagement, thestarting shaft is arranged to rotate the rotary member, when rotating the starting shaft in one direction, as by having the pins seat in the notches 22. When the motor is started, whereby the rotary member is'rotated at an accelerated speed by the motor, which is greater them the speed of rotation of the starting shaft, the starting shaft is automatically disconnected from the rotary member, as by having the pins 24 travel along the inclined faces 27, so as to be received outside the shaft, as by notches 22, and to move the starting shaft a substantially U-shaped shank, fixed a a bearing-piece is preferably a malleable casting or forging. The bowed form of the shank of the bearing-piece permits the forceful adjustment of the bearing thereon, so as to place the same in substantial axial rela tion with the rotary member when mounting the parts. in place, the bearing-piece being of sufiicient rigidity for preventing unintentional change of relation between its bearing and the rotary member.

The bearing 31 preferably hasrthe socketmember 23 of the starting shaft therein, while the bearing 32 preferably has an intermediate portion of the starting shaft therein.

The bearing 32 is ona bearing-member,- exemplified as comprising sections 4:2, 43, received about a cross-shaft l4 and clamped thereon by means of clamp-bolts 45 and nuts therefor. The cross shaft is preferably a rigid part of the chassis, being fixed in bearings a6 thereon and fixedly held in said bearings, as by means of set-bolts 47.

The starting shaft is normally urged away from the rotary meinber,. as by means of a spring 51, shown as a helical spring about the starting shaft, located between a pin 52 received through said shaft and a pocketmember' 53 receivedabout the starting shaft and its socket-member, and havin a bearing- 5st about the starting shaft an a bearing 55 about the socket-member 23, the outer. end of the sbcket member moving in said pocket-member so as to protect theaction of the latter. A stop 56, shown as a pin received through an aperture in the starting shaft, acts triTl-imit" retractive movement 8f the starting shaft from the rotary 11131115 er.

crank-handle is-so connected as to be placed in active relation for rotating the startingshaft, orto be moved intoin ctive and obscure relation, means being pro 'ded whereby to firmly hold' the crank-handle and the starting shaft,'to prevent rattling of the same duringoperation of the vehicle.

The connection of the crank-handle with r the starting shaft is shown as a slidable and and is provided with a bore 65.

pivotal connection. The crank-handle comprises a hub 61 and an arm 62, having a manually operable hand-grip extending therefrom.

The hub has ears 64 extending therefrom The ears are provided with slots 66. A pivot-pin 67 is fixed in an aperture68 extending through the starting shaft and through the slots, the ends of the pins being provided wit shoulders 69 against which washers 70 ar received, thewashers being clamped in place by means of nuts 71 received over the threaded ends 7 2 of the pin. (See Fig. 7.)

reaaee'a The crank-handle is niova-ble, with its.

tion of the crank-handle with the starting shaft. When the hub is moved inwardly or toward the starting shaft, the startingshaft is received in the bore of the hub. Continued movement inwardly of the crank-handle causes inward axial movement of the starting shaft for moving the socket-member 23 toward the rotarymember of the motor, for

causing engagement between the complemental connecting means with which the socket-member and the rotary member are respectively provided, whereby the crankhandle'is placed in active relation. with the rotary member for manually rotating the rotary member, in order to start the .autoniatic or power operation of the motor.

When the power operation of the; motor has been initiated, thereby accelerating rotation of the rotary member, the starting shaft is automatically moved axially away from theijmotor. Upon cessation of urging movement of'the starting shaft toward the I motor, the spring 51 automatically retracts the starting shaft.

When the motor-*has been started, the crank-handle is moved so as to move its hub axially away from the starting shaft, whereby the inner' end walls of the slots 66 contact the pivot-pin 67 in the starting shaft, the bore of the hub of the crank-handle having meanwhile moved beyond the outer end of the starting shaft, in order that the crankhandle may be swung on its pivotal connection with the starting shaft. The pivotal axis of this pivotal connection is' exemplified at right angles to the arm 62, whereby therarm 62 may be moved to be substantially parallel with the starting shaft when the crank handle is in idle relation.

Means are provided for fixing the crankhandle in inactive relation, accomplished in the presentexemplification by a receivinghook 76, which extends from the bearingsection 43, the, hook extending in lateral direction with relation to the starting shaft, r

and being located preferably in radial direction with relation to. the axis of the. start-- ing; shaft. ,This is accomplished, in the present ex'emplification, by locating the bearing 32 and the hook 76 to one side of the bodies of the bearing-sections 4C2, 43.

when the latter is in inactive position.-

hen the crank-arm is placed on the hook, the spring is forced laterally, with the result that the spring urges the crank-arm against the hook, which latter thereby acts as a fulcrum, the spring pushing the end of the crank-arm at one side of the fulcrum- .in one direction, and the-end of the crank-.

arm, namely the pivotal end thereof, at the other side of the fulcrum, in the opposite direction. This has the result that the outer end of the starting shaft is forced in one lateral direction, whereby one side of the inner wall of the bearing 32 is caused to act as a fulcrum. on whichthe operating shaft is swung for swinging its inner end in the opposite direction against the other side of the inner wall of the bearing"31. This action has the effect of clamping or cramping the crank-handle and the starting shaft, and rigidly positioning the same in the hook and in the bearings respectively and rigidly binding the pivotal connection between the crankhandle and the starting shaft, whereby all rattling of the parts is, prevented. Suitable oil-cups 81, 82, may

be provided for the bearings 31, 32. v The construction also aids in presenting a pleasing appearance of the parts, as the only parts presented to view when the parts are in inactive relation, are the outer endof the starting shaft and the downwardly extending bowed outer end of the crank-handle, the arm of the crank-handle and the hand-grip at its end being positioned out' of view under the chassis and housing of' the vehicle. a

In order to provide for easy and ready operation of the parts in starting the motor,

.and to compensate for variations in axial relations there may be between the axis of the starting shaft and theaxis of the rotary member, I make the bores of the bearings 31 32, and the bore 65 in the. hub 61 of the crank-handle, oversize. Thus the bore 65 is made one sixty-fourth inch larger in diameter than the diameter of the starting shaft received therein, the bore of-the hearing 32 is made one thirty-second inch largerin diameter than the diameter of the starting shaft at that point. and the bore of the tive relation with the rotary member,'-and compensates for differences there. may be in axial relations between the starting shaft and the rotary member. v

The lever action of the receiving hook and spring on the crank-arm, when the crankhandle IS in lnac-t ive relation, forces one side of the starting shaft against one side of the bearing 32, and the other side of the starting shaft, that is, the socket-membeu thereof, against the other side of the bearing 31, for rigidly holding all, the operating parts, whereby all rattling of the parts is prevented.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In mechanism of the character described,,the combination of a starting shaft, :1. crank-handle comprising a hub, a crankarm and a handle, a pivotal slidable con nection between said hub and Saidstartingshaft, the pivot of said pivotal slidable connection extending at right angles to the plane in which said crank-arm and said handle are located, positioning means between said hub and said starting shaft connected by axial movement of said hub along said slidable connection for cranking position of tween said hub and said starting shaft, po-

sitioning means .betweensaid hub and said starting shaft connected by axial n'iovement of said hub along said slidable connection for cranking position of said crank-handle,

said pivota'l connection arranged for swinging said crank-handle into inactive relation lengthwise of said starting shaft, and a latch for latching said crank-arm in said last-named relation, said latch comprising a fulcrum and a spring constructed and'arranged whereby to exert lateral strain on said crank-handle and said starting shaft at said pivotal connection.

8. In mechanism of the character described, the combination, with a rotary member of an internal combustion motor, of an axially.movable'start-ing shaft, a bearing therefor adjacent to said rotary. member, a bearing therefor distanced from'said rotary member, said starting shaft and said rotary member provided with complemental releas able connecting members for rotating said rotary member by means of said starting shaft, resilient means normally causing separation between said complemental members. a crank-handle including a crank-arm, said crank-handle having operative connection including a pivotal connection with said starting shaft, the pivotal axis of said pivotal connection being at substantially right angles to said crank-arm, and arranged for active relation of said crank-handle with said starting shaft, or for inactive relation of said crank-handle with said crank-arm extending lengthwise of said starting shaft, and latching means for said crank-arm ineluding resilient means and a fulcrum for In testimdny whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES BIEDERMAN.

Witnesses:

RALPH L. HINDS, THERESA M. SILBEJR. 

